I am getting ready to do some loading for the 8x57 and want to use the heavier bullets available. Anyone have experience using the Remington 185 grain PSPCL, the Speer 200 grain Hotcor or Hornady's 195 grain interlok? I will probably push them to around 2550-2600 fps and use em on feral hogs and deer so any comments on on game performance of these bullets will be apreciated along with best powders for this combination.

Note that Nosler is now making an Accubond in 8mm..... a 200-grainer, I believe.

I picked up two really nice 24/47 mausers and I am keeping one stock and putting a Millet SP1 red dot sight on the other. I figure that I can push a 200 grain bullet as fast as the 348 winchester could which should be plenty for the big feral hogs that are overunning my lease. I think I will try some Winchester 748 first and then some H414.

quote:

Originally posted by rickt300:
Anyone have experience using the Remington 185 grain PSPCL, .

Yes------47.5gr.ac2520 2455 to2540fps. about max. possibly, primers a little flat, 5 round 1/2" grp at 50 yds. w/hot barrel, oal= 3.060", no crimp, Scout style mod98 w/ 1 1/2 power pistol scope. roger

quote:

Originally posted by rickt300:
should be plenty for the big feral hogs that are overunning my lease. .

Need any help thinning out them hogs?

Trouble is that it is too hot to hunt even at night mostly and the lease is 5 hours away so I get one night on a free weekend to go shoot one or two and now the freezer is full. I really don't like leaving large dead hogs on the property as it just doesn't seem attractive to deer.

From a velocity standpoint I easily got the best results from IMR 4064 with several bullets and its accuracy was on par with all other powders I tried. I was very impressed with the 180 gn BT, tougher than I expected, I personally feel that it held up better than the 200 gn Speers and that is from someone who has used Speer a lot over the years. I also obtained the best accuracy by a considerable margin and velocity as well from the BT. It was a standout in the tests I conducted. I would suggest trying the 200 gn Accubond with some 4064.

Oh, I should also mention that the 185 gn core locts performed extremly well in terms of weight retention and expansion, but unfortunatley I was not able to get satisfactory accuracy from my particular rifle from them. I may try them again soon on another millsurp 8x57. The 175 gn Sierras also performed quite well for me in all aspects. I didnt get to the 195 gn interlocts. Let us know what you come up with.

I got two cherry model 24/47 yougslavian M98's, both in perfect exterior condition but one has a slightly frosty bore, still very shiny and the other looks brand new in all respects. My first loading may just be replacing the 196 grain bullet from Yugo heavy ball with the 180 grain BT or Rem. 185 Pspcl. because I have not ordered any boxer primed brass. I also have an 7x57 that I used S&B brass in but it fits my shellholder poorly causing minor problems. I figure the 8x57 brass would do the same. As far as accuracy between the two rifles they shoot pretty much the same but maybe the military sights and my eyes can't shoot much better than 1 1/2 inches at 50 yards. As soon as possible I am going to put a Millet SP1 red dot on one of them. I most likely will sporterize the one with the frosty barrel by rebarreling to 6MM remington and finding a nice piece of wood for it.

I just got the new Cabellas shooters catalog fall 2005. On page 34, Nosler bullet advertisment, there is a picture of a mushroomed accubond that in my mind rivals the mushrooming quality of the vaunted North fork bullets. Nice big mushroom and lots of retained weight. I have sitting in front of me two such expanded bullets of which either one could take the place of the accubond in the picture. They are both 180 gn BT's that were fired @ 2750 fs into a bag of dirt.

Yeah it always puts a smile on my face to see the shooter catalogue come in the mail. I am ordering some 8MM dies and a box each of 185 grain PSPCL and one of the 180 grain Ballistic tips. The hardest part is accepting the need for another bore diameter, you would not believe my bullet collection.

Remington 185 grain bullet, 47 grains of IMR 4895, Federal LR primer. Good accuracy in my scoped Yugo M48.

Those 185 gr SPCL are the best dollar value you will find for the 8mm, and they work great on game too.

53 grain vv n550 + 200grain flat based bullet!.Norma brass + CCI 250!.

Decisions decisions, I just put 40 rounds or so thru each of the rifles mentioned using Yugo heavy ball and Romanian 154 grain ammo. I really couldn't tell which was the better shooter. Now I'm tempted to sporterize them both making a 6MM out of one and an 8MM sporter out of the other. I can rationalize this by saying the remaining 24/47 rifles will be more valuable in the long run with 2 less in the competition.

quote:

Originally posted by rickt300:
I am getting ready to do some loading for the 8x57 and want to use the heavier bullets available.

The "classical" civilian bullet for the 8x57 was and is the 12,7 grams (or 12,8 grams) softpoint roundnose. Its performance is legendary, simple as it is (or because of that ;-)). It has also proven to be very accurate in many different guns.

If you want to go for heavier, 14,7 grams SP RN (or sometimes FN) was the old "heavy" bullet weight, patterned after the M/88 military RN FMJ. In the past, its civilian hunting cousins were factory loaded like this:

Vo _______ pressure

602 m/s at 2200 bars
650 m/s at 2600 bars
710 m/s at 2800 bars

All these allegedly measured with a long 68 cms barrel.

Data quoted from the "blue" RWS/RUAG handbook

Carcano

Although this is a heavier bullet weight than rickt300 was originally asking about, I thought I'd throw in my results with the 220 gr Woodleigh round nose bullet.

Date: 6/25/2005
Cartridge: 8x57JS
Firearm: Rem Model 700 Classic
Scope: Leupold 1 - 4x VX-II
Barrel Length: 24"
Bullet: Woodleigh RN
Bullet Weight: 220 gr
Powder: IMR-4350
Powder Weight: 51.0 gr
Case Make: W-W
Primer: WLR (not the magnum primer)
C.O.L.: 3.14"

Summary
Average Velocity: 2,402 fps
Average Energy: 2,819 ft lbs
High Velocity: 2,428 fps
Low Velocity: 2,392 fps
Extreme Spread: 36 fps
Standard Deviation: 10 fps

As a point of reference, for the 8x57JS Sellier & Bellot lists the 220 gr Sierra loaded to a velocity of 748 m/s (2454 fps). Barrel length listed as 60 cm (23.6 inches).
See: http://www.sellier-bellot.cz/rifle-hunting-ammunition-w...bullets.php?view=all

I'll be taking this rifle and load to South Africa this coming August for a plains game hunt. I'll also be taking along my CZ 550 in 9.3x62 (which will be my primary rifle). My 9.3 load is a 286 gr Woodleigh RN at a nominal 2400 fps. See the thread 9.3x62 RL-15 285gr for my load data.

The 8x57 and the 9.3x62 make a nice pair.

-Bob F.

It does look like the round can carry some heavy mail. Good luck on your hunt.

For those that might want to try and work it up....

I have played with the 8 x 57 with some 170, and 200 grain bullets...

Surprisingly from most load data I have found, if one wants the max velocity out of this case, even mid range powders are too slow in my experience...

As most Mausers are long throated.... and the 8mm case reminds me of a large 223 case... I have played with the faster powders used in the 223 and have found some eye popping velocity potential.... Since we don't have pressure testing equipment at the Seafire Garage and Load Room... this recommendation comes at YOUR own risks....

However, work up loads using good 223 powders... I have with excellent results with RL 7, IMR 4198, SR 4759, IMR 4227, AA2230......

What you find out from both the velocity and accuracy standpoints might really both surprise you and impress you on what works well in this case....

With 170 Speer SMP and the Sierra 175 SP, and the old Remington 185 grainers, I have had unbelievable velocity and accuracy potential....

Even with a 200 grain Speer, velocity was over 2600 fps and with very good case life, so I can only assume acceptable pressures.....

Brass has been reformed 25/06 brass ( as I got a lot of this brass for free, once fired and I don't own a 25/06, so It got reformed into 8 x 57 )....

Good luck on testing it
cheers
seafire